Juno judges perplex Jann Arden

A day after Juno organizers announced this year's list of nominees, Calgary cover girl Jann Arden responded with a simple, if not mysterious tweet.

"Dear Juno people. That's all I have to say," she wrote on Twitter. Or maybe it's not. ...

The 49-year-old isn't necessarily cranky that her second album of cover tunes only picked up one Juno nomination, for Uncover Me 2's studio wizard Bob Rock.

He's up for producer of the year based on one of the album's less impressive tracks, Only the Lonely, a piano rendering of an '80s new-wave number by The Motels.

"Every year, the nominations seem to get a little odd to me," says Arden, when asked if she wants to elaborate on her tweet.

"I think (the organizers) are so, so worried about doing anything main-stream. It seems to be like all these bizarre critical picks that people like my mother say: 'We didn't know one person on the Junos. We didn't know anybody.' "

She's exaggerating just a little bit. This year's multiple nominees include such mainstream acts as rapper Drake, bratty popster Avril Lavigne, and Canada's pariahs of rock, Nickelback. (Their latest, Here and Now, was released Nov. 21 - 11 days after the Juno's supposed deadline for eligible albums.)

But yes, there seems to be more and more not-so-household names earning Juno nominations - Braids, Diamond Rings, Lindi Ortega, KEN mode - which is actually vital to the industry's future by attracting newer (and often younger) fans. Not just middle-aged women or their mothers.

Yet the fact that Arden herself didn't pick up a nod for Adult Alternative Album of the Year or Fan Choice is ridiculous. Especially since most critics think Uncover Me 2 is superior to her first volume, praising Arden's vocal prowess and ambitious selection of songs - including Benny Goodman's 1936 jazz smash, Glory of Love, Lesley Gore's '60s pop hit, You Don't Own Me, and The Smiths' dour '80s lament, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me.

"We had a whole list of songs that we had to go through, to see what worked, what didn't work and what was going to fit together," says Arden.

"It's a really good record. It was great working with Russ (Broom) on the first one, but I think I had a little more experience going into the second one. I think Bob put together such a great band and he brings with him such a wealth of experience. He produced Metallica and AC/DC and Bon Jovi ... it's insane."

Also insane: Michael Buble's Christmas and Justin Bieber's Under the Mistletoe are nominated for Album of the Year, thanks to their Santa-sized sales figures. (Both singers are also up for Fan Choice, but only the Bub is nominated for Artist of the Year.) Whatever.

At least Arden fans can take heart in the fact that they can listen to Uncover Me 2 in February or July without getting weird looks from their friends and family. Besides, she's already won eight Junos over the years - including trophies for Best Single (Could I Be Your Girl) in 1995, and Best Female Artist in 2001. This year's event is April 1 in Ottawa.

She also has oodles of more important distractions - such as promoting her recent memoir, Falling Backwards, which reads like a gab session as she recounts her first 30 years as a prairie girl, and touring Uncover Me 2, across the country, including a stop in Edmonton on Monday night.

After the 19-date trek wraps up in the middle of March, Arden will focus on taping a third season of CBC Radio's Being Jann, and judging a second round of Global TV's Canada Sings!, a talent show that pits amateur groups of singers - makeshift glee clubs - against each other. The prize? A $10,000 donation to their favourite charity.

"It's all philanthropic, it's not people who want to be stars, so I feel comfortable with it," says Arden. She's also comfortable with the idea of turning 50 on March 27 - "I don't even care about it. I feel like every day is my birthday, I really do!" - which she'll commemorate with a nude photo in the April edition of Zoomer magazine, shot by Bryan Adams. Sometime after the not-so-big day, Arden wants to start writing her next album of original tunes, likely ready for release in 2013. Nope, there's no slowing down for our Jann, Juno nomination or not.

"I don't even know what Bruce has got in store," laughs Arden, referring to her manager, Bruce Allen. "I don't even like to ask."